A Question of Waste: Tackling Sport’s Waste Problem

The Champions League final in Cardiff a few weeks ago was phenomenal, bringing approximately 170,000 fans into the Welsh capital city, but it got us thinking…

Along with the excitement and anticipation surrounding these superb events comes a serious waste issue.

We’ve considered just a few ways that businesses and organisations can take measures to reduce and manage sport’s waste performance…

Limit Food Waste

“When you look at the footprints of sporting events, food is a significant part of the impact” said Ronan Leyden, head of sustainable places at Bioregional, who spent four years on site in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympics advising on sustainable construction and waste management planning.

Tackling food waste is vital to improving sporting event’s environmental performance. This means taking steps from the very beginning to reduce waste production – for example, portion control and looking at menu design throughout the city whilst events take place.

Forward-Thinking

Often, there is a large element of ‘tidying up’ after sporting events have occurred. From cleaners within the stadiums to city authorities beyond the walls, the tidy up is on a large scale, with most waste heading straight to landfill. By reducing branding on items from the initial design phase, merchandise and signage can be recycled for future events.

Strategic Placement

Placing trash and recycling bins strategically, and pairing them when feasible. All bins should be clearly located, well-marked and easy to use.

Working Together

Managing sport’s waste problem needs the support and involvement of many organisations. By hiring local co-operatives, for instance, to oversee elements of waste management planning and talk to spectators (where appropriate) about the importance of recycling, we’d be taking steps in the right direction.

If you’re looking for complete management solutions, we’d love to talk. Call us on 01633277755 or fill out our contact form